The centuries-old skill that spared us from starvation...

Few are aware it was a Maltese man who steered the oil tanker Ohio into the Grand Harbour 70 years ago, although most have heard of the operation that saved Malta from famine. The Ohio had been hit three days before its arrival on August 15, 1942. Still full of fuel, the vessel could have blown up if it had come under attack again, but the Maltese harbour pilot manoeuvred it safely into the capital’s harbour. Seventy years on, as they have for centuries, pilots still scramble to any vessel that wants to dock in Malta and guide the ship’s captain into the harbour. Day and night, these... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.